By Meghan Schmidbauer
The economic prosperity of the region is driven by the businesses in our communities – and securing top talent is the most critical factor in those businesses’ success. Without a skilled workforce, productivity, quality, and profits suffer.
Additionally, a skilled workforce leads to cost savings. Companies actualize talent recruitment and training savings with less turnover and increased retention.
Whether attracting new business or upskilling current employees in the region, the Detroit Regional Chamber has Michigan’s most robust portfolio of programs and initiatives ready to strengthen the talent pipeline and continue to build the future workforce.
1. Support Detroit Promise Students Through Internships
The Detroit Promise is a last-dollar scholarship that provides a tuition-free opportunity for Detroit students to earn an associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or technical certificate. Businesses have succeeded in hosting Promise students through internships. Additionally, companies can strengthen partnerships between colleges and create unique career opportunities for Detroiters upon graduation.
2. Partner with Higher Education to Create a Custom Training Roadmap
The region’s institutions of higher education stand ready to provide training and instruction to upskill and educate the future workforce. It takes collaboration and ingenuity, but there is opportunity for customization with the diverse postsecondary providers in the area. The Chamber works as an intermediary to connect education and industry to help generate dialogue to create a custom training roadmap.
3. Join the Detroit Regional Compact’s Work to Increase Educational Attainment
Unveiled in October 2020, the Detroit Regional Talent Compact set the blueprint to increase educational attainment to 60% and decrease the racial equity educational attainment gap by half by 2030. The Talent Compact serves as the vehicle to drive change and convene the region’s players to implement initiatives and strategies to reach these goals. Businesses that participate lend their voices and ingenuity alongside over 40 stakeholders representing education, government, nonprofits, and philanthropy.
4. Host a Discover Auto Tour and Expose Students to Exciting Automotive Careers
Discover Auto, a talent attraction program led by MICHauto in partnership with Square One and Project Lead the Way, connects Michigan high school students with automotive and mobility companies to learn about exciting, high-tech careers. Presentations by industry experts educate students on the industry and promote its diverse career options. Participating companies have the opportunity to expose students to their workforce and future careers.
5. Promote the Region to Young Professionals Via Let’s Detroit
The Chamber created Let’s Detroit to increase retention of graduates while helping engage those who wish to return or move to the Detroit region. Business can leverage Let’s Detroit online platform when recruiting talent or have their employees serve as ambassadors in the “Ask a Detroiter” initiative, which promotes the region and their company to young professionals around the country.
6. Help Align Academic Programs with Credentials of Immediate Value
The Detroit Drives Degrees Community College Collaborative (D3C3) is a cross-sector collaborative that elevates community colleges’ role by working toward regional talent pipeline transformation in Southeast Michigan. There is a need for industry participation to align academic programs to credentials of immediate value, ensuring graduates are ready for in-demand jobs.
7. Put the Chamber’s Employer Toolkit to Work for You
The Chamber has created several tools to help organizations understand the benefits of upskilling and developing talent. Its online toolkit is one instrument in an arsenal of available learning opportunities to assist companies in creating a learning culture for staff, including tuition assistance policies and internship opportunities. Businesses should contact the Chamber to discuss custom one-on-one assistance and support options.
Meghan Schmidbauer is director of student success and postsecondary partnerships for the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Detroit Drives Degrees initiative.
Let’s work together to build the workforce of the future. Contact Christi Taylor at ctaylor@detroitchamber.com or call 734.363.9924 to learn more.